History
In 1937, 15-year-old Joseph Armand Bombardier invented the Ski Doo to traverse the snowy streets of Quebec. His company grew into railway and aerospace, and was sold in 2003 to an investor group for billions. Sea-Doo personal watercraft, Can-Am all-terrain vehicles and BRP-leading boat lines followed, and now include Manitou Pontoons, Alumacraft fishing boats, and the Sea-Doo Switch pontoons (a Boating Boat of the Year awardee) with PWC maneuverability powered by BRP’s Rotax engines. Rotax is a 100-year-old Austrian propulsion company, purchased by Bombardier in 1970 to power its vehicles and vessels. BRP recently added a Rotax outboard as a power option for its Manitou pontoons and Alumacraft fishing boats (conventional outboards are also available).
Innovative Design
BRP recently invested $15 million to renovate its Palm Bay, Florida, design center (two other centers exist in France and Quebec), and invited Boating for a behind-the-scenes look. The 6-acre facility sits on a large lake, ideal for testing, surrounded by a sandy track for ATV trials. While running vessels and vehicles to their breaking point might sound like fun, it is the serious endgame for the staff of 60 in Palm Bay. A new offering could require 200 to 300 hours of testing—that is years of development.
New stuff starts with 3D and computer-aided-design drawings. Next, prototypes are built by 3D printing, by CAD-cut aluminum or by hand-cut wood. Those molds are then 3D-scanned and reviewed by teams of electrical and mechanical engineers, viewing the vessel or vehicle through the lenses of virtual reality and sustainability. This examination process is applied not only to its products, but also its own facilities, and takes years of interaction among the various design centers and departments.
New Product
The innovative design process was exemplified in the development of the Rotax outboard engine. It began with field observation. According to Curt Wilson, director of design and advanced concepts, BRP boat-show staff overheard a woman voicing intrusion and safety concerns about traditional outboard engines. Because the market clamored for outboard engines, BRP went to work on how to get the outboard out of the way while keeping its benefits, and while using a Rotax engine as a foundation.
The low-profile outboard, which installs under the wide-open MAX Deck model Manitou and Alumacraft boats, debuted two years ago. It accommodates a broader swim platform, and while the propellers are the same, it diminishes the fear of injuries and tangled lines, while access to the water for tubing and swimming is enhanced. In addition, higher fuel efficiency and lower carbon emissions reflect BRP’s goals of lowering carbon footprint, protecting the environment, and incorporating innovation into products.
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Let It Rip!
As LaPointe summarizes, “By combining design and advanced concepts with R&D, we are able to explore new possibilities, and create products that offer unique, innovative, and exciting adventures for our riders.”
From seeing the original 1959 Sea-Doo in the lobby to running the new 300 hp Fish Pro and new Manitou pontoons on the lake to careening around in a Can-Am Defender, I can vouch for BRP’s dedication to innovation and the exciting adventures that result.
